disingenuous

adjective

Definition of disingenuousnext
as in dishonest

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disingenuous My audience can smell something disingenuous pretty quick. — Holly Gleason, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026 Sadly, Mamdani is disingenuous about my tribe. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 June 2026 Friedkin, who died in 2023 and is seen only in archival interviews, now seems disingenuous in some of his denials that the film was exploitative, especially with regard to the murder that inspired it. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2026 Individual fiefdoms will survive this disingenuous brand of political gamesmanship, but the governor and other top leaders may not. — Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for disingenuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disingenuous
  1. dishonest
  2. deceitful
  3. untruthful
  4. contrived
  5. hypocritical
  6. unnatural
  7. devious
  8. assumed
Adjective
  • The state agency said clinic staffers had clients sign a personal injury waiver, which the commission said was unenforceable, against public policy and deceptive and dishonest.
    — Ashley Hiruko, ProPublica, 8 July 2026
  • There is no industry-standard pricing for tax relief, which is one reason why taxpayers can sometimes fall victim to overpriced or dishonest tax relief scams.
    — Nick Perry, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of dishonest
Adjective
  • Keep your actual and suspected traitors closer – the non-loyal, uncommitted, secretive, suspicious, dishonest, deceitful, chronically negative, and regularly undermining.
    — Peter D. Banko, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
  • The interview was secretly filmed in her apartment at Kensington Palace while she was separated from then-Prince Charles and later revealed to have been secured by deceitful methods.
    — Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
Definition of deceitful
Adjective
  • In February, federal authorities launched an investigation into two federal immigration agents who appeared to have made untruthful statements under oath regarding a nonfatal shooting of an immigrant in Minneapolis in January.
    — Hallie Golden, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026
  • This inquiry identified insufficient evidence to conclude that Garcia knowingly made an untruthful statement.
    — Brian Maass, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Definition of untruthful
Adjective
  • The look manages to be on trend without being too contrived.
    — Selene Oliva, Glamour, 12 June 2026
  • Whereas Heineman’s film used its incredible access to the central couple to capture moments that come across as beautifully and uncomfortably intimate and unstaged, Bergh (The Greatest Love Story Never Told) uses his access to make everything pretty and entirely too contrived.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2026
Definition of contrived
Adjective
  • Or means that any comments are supposedly hypocritical.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026
  • Earlier this month, Matsui’s campaign came after Vang for taking corporate donations from Sacramento-area businesses during her city council campaigns, implying that Vang’s vows to not accept money from corporate PACs in her congressional bid is hypocritical.
    — Mathew Miranda June 4, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026
Definition of hypocritical
Adjective
  • While some hair products can be used across different textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, and colors (natural and unnatural), they are often created with specific consumers in mind.
    — Catharine Malzahn, Allure, 13 July 2026
  • Extreme corsetry, volumes, and silhouettes morphed women’s bodies into unnatural forms, some hyper-perfect, others creature-like.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 10 July 2026
Definition of unnatural
Adjective
  • The series, which ended in 2007, also starred Nancy Sullivan and Jonathan Goldstein as Drake's mom and Josh's dad, respectively, and Miranda Cosgrove as Drake's devious younger sister Megan.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026
  • Perhaps Munro’s most popular role is as Betty’s devious dad, Hal Cooper, on Riverdale.
    — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 June 2026
Definition of devious
Adjective
  • While Craig will be the assumed starter, typically Dykes has at least tried to have a quarterback battle, with redshirt freshman Adam Schobel being Craig’s primary competition to watch.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Witnessing violence has, unfortunately, become an assumed risk when logging onto the internet.
    — Charles Trepany, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
Definition of assumed

Browse Nearby Words

disinformation
disingenuous
disinherit
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Cite this Entry

“Disingenuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disingenuous. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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